A SWEELLING problem
Almost half a million people in the UK live with lymphoedema, which causes swelling of the limbs. So why do we not hear more about it?
by KITTY CORRIGANR
When Edith Ranger goes shopping for clothes, it’s a trial not a treat. For 15 years she has had to wear a thick compression sleeve on her swollen right arm – right down to her fingertips – so buying anything with sleeves means having to go up two sizes. She can’t manage buttons or elasticated cuffs, nor anything with catches, so wearing necklaces and bracelets is out. She sold her gold jewellery long ago and spent the money on a Caribbean holiday with husband Andy.
‘My right arm is 30% bigger than my left,’ explains Edith, 62. ‘As the swelling increases during the day it gets heavier, so I feel lopsided. It’s very painful if someone bumps into me, so it can be tricky in crowded places. But when I tell people I have lymphoedema, they look blank.’
According to the Lymphoedema Support Network (LSN), 450,000 in the UK are living with the condition, many more than Parkinson's (153,000) and MS (130,000) put together.